Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (238 page)

The study of inscriptions.

 
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Cultures of Palaeolithic tradition surviving into early post-glacial times.

 
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The articular end of a long bone, which fuses at adulthood.

 
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The branch of philosophy which deals with the character of knowledge, and how we know what we know; the study of what constitutes knowledge, its construction, its limits, its veracity, and its validation. An epistemology is a theory of knowledge, of which there are many, and for centuries it has been a central theme of philosophy. Since the
NEW ARCHAEOLOGY
of the 1960s it has also been a matter of considerable interest for archaeologists: what constitutes a knowledge of the past when all that connects the past and the present is material culture. A recent interest of
POST-PROCESSUAL
and
SOCIAL ARCHAEOLOGY
is the importance of the social reproduction of knowledge through
DISCOURSE
.

 
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Bow-brooch with a flat headplate (generally semi-circular with some radiating knobs) and a long, lozenge-shaped footplate. A variety of types have been distinguished, decorated with precious stones or chip-carving and distributed from the Crimea to Spain from the 4th to the 7th centuries
ad
.

 
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The time when daylight and darkness are of equal length, around 21 March (vernal equinox) and 23 September (autumnal equinox). At such times the sun rises due east and sets due west. The position of the rising or setting sun at the time of the equinox can sometimes be recognized as a significant alignment within the structure of prehistoric monuments.

 
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